A Guide To The Essentials Of Your First 4×4 Adventure

Driving An Off-Road Adventure Is The Most Fun Thing You’ll Ever Do

Remember, the key to every off-road adventure is safety first. One of the keys to a successful off-road trip is preparation. An off-road trip will be much different from the average trip where we travel from a location to another location.

Planning off-road trip adventure is not limited to choosing a destination and defining the route. Another piece of equipment that is crucial to have when going on an off-road trip is a navigation tool. The best time to do this off-road trip is spring through early fall. Driving off-road can be risky, so have a policy in place that prevents you from being liable should a passenger or bystander be injured from your off-road driving.

Unfortunately, most 4 wheel drive vehicles on the road today spend their entire lives…on the road. For the average driver, a 4×4 option is only a way to retain resale value in their vehicle and possibly be able to still get groceries when the snow starts falling. It is time to get that off road machine of yours off the beaten trail. Men, let’s get a little mud on the tires.

Off road driving can take several forms. From the weekend trail rider to the die hard rock crawler, off roaders the world over know that there are few better ways to get your jollies than taking total control of your vehicle as you take it places most people never knew they could go.

Let’s take a brief look at some of the places you might find yourself when you decide to leave the pavement behind, keeping in mind that this is just an introduction and is by no means all you need to know when hitting the trail. Remember, the most important elements of a successful off road adventure are safety and preparation. Check more here.

First and probably for most your going to need these items before taking off on your off-road adventure, be prepared to get yourself out of any situation before you leave.

Here are our essentials for your first off-road trip. This is not a definitive list by any means – you have to work out a gear line-up according to your own specific needs – but it’s a bloody good place to start.

START WITH THE BASICS

Obviously, if you’re only going away for a day trip – out and back, no sleep-over – then you may disregard any tips we’re about to throw your way on what camping gear to pack, but, if not, read on and pay attention. Tent? Check. Sleeping bags? Check. Off you go. Well, not quite, but shelter and a bed are a great place to start. You do however need a few more things to achieve a basic level of comfort, safety and self-sufficiency.

We’ll assume you’re able to get your head around your own food and water requirements, so we’re leaving that out of this yarn. Suffice to say, get a good-sized hard esky – anything upwards of 33 litres depending on the number of people on the trip – and to keep food fresh and water cold during short trips away that will do the trick nicely.

Get your shelter sorted out. Whether it takes the form of a family tent and accompanying sleeping bags, or a single or double swag, a teepee, whatever – remember to pack it and all of the necessary gear needed to erect it. i.e. tent pegs, fly cover, ground tarp etc. Read more here.

This list is a good starting point to ensure a safe and hopefully fun off-road experience and make a checklist and use it before you leave.

Before you leave home, you must outfit your rig with the gear you’ll need to get unstuck. The fact is, off-roading is about getting stuck. If you don’t get hopelessly stuck at least once, you’re probably not doing it right. At the very least, you’re probably not challenging yourself or your vehicle.

Off-Road Tires

This is a no-brainer — if you don’t have the right tires, forget about taking your truck or Jeep off-road.

If you’re doing a mix of off-road driving and back-road traveling – a common scenario for off-the-beaten-path campers and hunters – a good set of all-terrain radials will probably be sufficient.

If you’re going to somewhere extraordinarily muddy, you’ll probably want a set of mud tires, as a standard all-terrain tire won’t have much bite.

If you’re rock crawling or tackling some other sort of major off-road obstacle, some very aggressive off-road tires are the way to fly.

By the way, if you’re using your daily driver as your primary off-road vehicle, it might be good to consider mounting your aggressive off-road tires to a second set of wheels. That way, you can use standard radials to get to and from work, then just swap your rims before an off-road trip to maximize the life of your off-road tires (which wear very quickly on paved streets). See full article here.

Driving Off-Road Adventure Can Be A Great Experience

The most important factor that would affect your off-road trip adventure will be the vehicle that you choose. Off road is always dependable, responsible and adaptable to our changing needs. Coming to a steep downhill when off-road can be nerve-racking initially, so stay relaxed and go with the flow.

One of the most dangerous hazards found off-road adventure is negative obstacles, mainly because they are so difficult to detect. Taking the time to properly prepare for your off-road trip will ensure that you have a good time with no problems. Knowing the best places to go off-road can make the difference between a trip and an awesome adventure, call us here: (951) 245-8115.

John is a 25 year veteran in the industry who writes and curates topically related, interesting and trending content for several industry related blogs online. If you have questions or comments regarding any blog post, please feel free to leave a comment. John will reply as time allows.